Signature-handling machine.



H. BARBER SIGNATURE HANDLING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, I914.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. M. BARBER.

SIGNATURE HANDLING WMCHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV- 19, I914- mm swans-swan 2.

lllllll Pawmwdl M1204, 19W.

H. M. BARBER. SIGNATURE HANDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1914.

Patenm m0, 4,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Wmewes:

H. MLBARBER, SIGNATURE HKNDLING MACHiNE.

APPLICATIDNHLED' NOV. 19. 1914.

Patented Dec. 4, 191?.

4- SHEE'TS -SHEET 4.

HOWARDM'. BARBER, 0F STUNINGTON, CGNNEGTIG'UT, ASSIGNOB TO (3". B. GOTTRELIrdt SONS COMEANY, O13 SCIJ ONINGTON, GOJFINEGTIQUI, A CEPEPORALTIGN OF DELAWARE.

sienarunn-imnmme MAGHINE.

Application filed November 19. 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, HOWARD M. BARBER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signature-Handling Machines, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention includes means whereby each successive signature is led from the press through a different stitcher mechanism than the preceding signature. The invention also includes means for positively removing the stitched signatures from their stitcher mechanisms and folding off said signatures.

This invention also includes means where by the stitched signatures are folded and delivered at a common delivery point.

This invention more specifically includes means whereby the signatures are alternately fed to two stitcher mechanisms and are positively removed therefrom by grippers carried by rotary male folding cylinders, which, in turn, fold off the stitched signatures to a common coacting folding cylinder from which the folded signatures are delivered in succession to a suitable common delivery mechanism.

This invention also more specifically includes a common delivery device including a delivery cylinder, a common female folding cylinder having two sets of folding jaws, two male folding cylinders having tucking blades arranged to coact with their corresponding sets of folding jaws, two stitcher mechanisms, grippers on said male folding cylinders for positively removing the signatures from the stitcher mechanisms, feedingin devices for the stitcher mechanisms, and a common feeding cylinder having two sets of grippers arranged to coact with their respective feeding-in devices to transfer the signatures thereto.

The object of this invention is to provide for rapidly stitching, folding and delivering signatures and, at the same time, permit the stoppage of the signatures an ample time to allow them to be accurately stitched.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section taken Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 121% Serial No. $72,982;

from front to rear through so much of a ing connection between the parts where the folding and delivery cylinders are driven at the same surface speed, and also certain of the cam mechanisms, and

Fig. 4 is a detail section of a modification showing the driving connection between the parts where the folding and delivery cylinders are driven at variable surface speeds.

A feeding cylinder 1 is mounted on a shaft 2 and carries two sets of grippers 3 and 4 arranged to take successive signatures as they are fed through the guides 5, 6, and to feed the signatures alternately to the cylinders 7 and 8 of the feeding-in devices of the stitcher mechanisms.

The shaft of the cylinder 7 is denoted by 9 and the shaft of the cylinder 8 by 10; The set of grippers 11 on the cylinder? is arranged to take a signature from the set of grimoers 3 every revolution of the cylinder 1 and every two revolutions of the cylinder 7. The set of grippers 12 on the cylinder 8 is arranged to take a signature from the set of grippers 4 on the cylinder 1 every revolution of the cylinder 1 and every second revolution of the cylinder 8. The upper stitcher table is denoted by 13 and the lower stitcher table by 14. A movable stop 15 is provided for the table 13 and the movable stop 16 is provided for the table 14.

The upper stitcher mechanism is denoted by 17 and the lower stitcher mechanism by 18, which mechanisms are, driven respectively through suitable gearing from the shafts 19 and 20.

Endless tape carriers 21 and 22 are arranged to feed the signatures from'the cylinder 7 onto the stitcher table 13 against the movable stop 15. Similarly, the endless tapes 23, 24, are arranged to feed the signatures from the cylinder 8 onto the stitcher table 14 against the movable stop 16.

The upper male folding cylinder is denoted. by 25, its shaft by 26, its set of grippers by 27 and its tucking blade by 28.

The lower male folding cylinder is de- 7 jaws 35 and 36, respectively, of the noted by 29, its shaft by 30, its set of grippers by 31 and its tucking blade by 32.

- grippers 39, 40, arranged to take the folded and stitched signatures from the folding female folding cylinder 33 and deliver them to a suitable delivery device such as an endless carrier 41.

The stationary short circular cam 42 forming a part of the long circular cam 43 is arranged to operate the grippers 3 of the cylinder 1 to close them on the signature at their receiving point and to open the grippers at the proper time to release the signature to the grippers 11 of the cylinder 7.

The stationary long circular cam 43 is arranged to operate the grippers 4 to close them on the next succeeding signature at their receiving point and to open the grippers to release the signature to the grippers 12 on the cylinder 8.

The stationary cam for controlling the operation of the grippers 11 is denoted by 44 and the stationary cam for controlling ihe operation of the grippers 12 is denoted As the machine frame has been omitted in the drawings for the sake of clearness, the connections of the supports for these cams-42, 43, 44 and 45, with the machine frame are not shown, it being understood that these supports for the cams may be connected to the frame in any well known or approved manner.

The movement of the sheet stop 15 is controlled by a rotary cam 46 carried by the cylinder 25 and the movement of the sheet stop 16 is controlled by a rotary cam 47 carried by the cylinder 29.

The grippers 27 on the cylinder 25 are shown as tumbler operated and they are controlled at their receiving point by the pin 48 and at their releasing point by the pin 49. Similarly, the grippers 31 on the cylinder 29 are shown as tumbler operated and they are controlled at their receiving point by the pin 50 and attheir releasing point by the pin 51.

The coacting folding mechanisms are of the floating tucking blade and floating foldlng jaw type of well known and approved form and their operating cam mechanisms will not be specifically described herein as they form no part of the present invention. See United States Letters Patent to R. C. Seymour, No. 629928, Aug. 1, 1899.

The grippers 39 and 40 on the delivery cylinder 37 are operated by the stationary cam 52 to receive the folded and stitched signatures from their respective folding jaws 35, 36, on the female folding cylinder 33 and deposit said signatures onto the de livery device 41.

The driving shafts 19 and 20 of the two stitcher mechanisms are driven from the shaft 2 of the cylinder 1 through the train of gears 53, 54, 55, 56. The shafts 9 and 10 of the cylinders 7 and 8 are driven from the gear 57 on the shaft 2 by the gears 58, 59. The gear 59 meshes with a gear 60 which, in turn, meshes with a gear 61 on the shaft 30 of the cylinder 29. A gear ()2 on the shaft 34 0f the cylinder meshes with the gear 61 and also with the gear 63 on the shaft 26 of the cylinder 25. This gear 62 also meshes with a gear 64 on the shaft 38 of the delivery cylinder 37.

In the geared arrangement shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, the eylin ders 1, 25, 29, 33 and 37 are driven at the same surface speed. If it be desired to drive the folding and delivery cylinders at variable surface speeds, the geared connection shown in Fig. 4 may be used. In this case, the gear 60 is removed and the shaft 26 of the folding cylinder 25 is provided with an irregular gear 65 which is driven from an irregular gear 66 on a stud shaft 67, which shaft has a spur gear 68 which is driven from a gear 69 on the driving shaft 19. The irregular gears are so arranged that the male folding cylinders are driven at a higher surface speed when taking the stitched signatures from the stitcher tables 13, 14, and at a lower surface speed when the cylinders are folding-off the signatures to the female folding cylinder, the female folding cylinder traveling at a higher sur face speed when transferring the folded signatures to the delivery cylinder.

By sending one signature to one stitcher mechanism and the next signature to another stitcher mechanism, I am enabled to stitch one signature while the other one is being fed into position for stitching. This alternating stitching of the signatures, permits first one signature to be folded off to the female folding cylinder 31 and then the other signature to be folded oif to the said cylinder. This arrangement will also permit successive stitched and folded signatures to be deposited by the delivery eylinder 37 onto the delivery device 41.

It will thus be seen that not only is ample time given for the stitching of the signatures but also that the two stitched signatures can be folded off to a common cylinder at the proper intervals for delivery.

By the term cylinder as used in the description, I contemplate any suitable means for passing the signatures through the prescribed paths and by the term grippers I contemplate any engaging devices suitable for the purpose of leading the signatures through said prescribed paths.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of stitcher mechanisms, a source of signature supply, means for passing therefrom certain signatures through one stitcher mechanism, and other signatures through another stitcher mechanism, comprising a feeding-in cylinder for each stitcher mechanism and a common feeding cylinder for said feeding-in cylinders, and means for folding and delivering the stitched signatures.

2. In a machine of the character described, two stitcher mechanisms, a source of signature supply, means for passing therefrom alternate signatures through each stitcher mechanism, comprising a feedingin cylinder for each stitcher mechanism and a common feeding cylinder for said feeding-in cylinders, and means for folding and delivering the stitched signatures.

3. In a machine of the character described, a delivery device, a plurality of stitcher mechanisms, means for passing certain signatures through one stitcher mechanism and other signatures through another stitcher mechanism to the delivery device, comprising a feeding-in cylinder for each stitcher mechanism and a common feeding cylinder for said feeding-in cylinders, and means for folding each signature on its Way to the delivery device.

4. In a machine of the character described, a delivery device, two stitcher mechanisms, means for passing alternate signatures through each stitcher mechanism to the delivery device, comprising a feedingin cylinder for each stitcher mechanism and a common feeding cylinder for said feeding-in cylinders, and means for folding the signatures on their Way to the delivery device.

5. In a machine of the character de scribed, a plurality of stitcher mechanisms,

means for feeding signatures thereto, comprising a feeding-in cylinder for each stitcher mechanism and a common feeding cylinder for said feeding-in cylinders, means for folding the signatures and means for delivering the stitched and folded signatures at a common point.

6. In a machine of the character described, two stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures thereto, comprising a feeding-in cylinder for each stitcher mechanism and a common feeding cylinder for said feeding-in cylinders, means for folding the signatures and means for delivering the stitched and folded signatures at a common point.

7. In a machine of the character de scribed, two stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures alternately from a common source, thereto, means for arresting the movement of the signatures during the stitching operation, rotary 'means having grippers for positively removing the stitched signatures and means for folding the stitched signatures and delivering them at a common point.

8. In a machine of the character de scribed, two stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures thereto, two male folding cylinders having grippers arranged to positively remove the stitched signatures, and a female folding cylinder arranged to coact with the male folding cylinders for folding the stitched signatures and deliver ing them.

9. In a machine of the character described, stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures thereto, two male folding cylinders having grippers arranged to positively remove the stitched signatures and a common female folding cylinder having two sets of folding jaws, said male folding cylinders each having a tucking blade arranged to coact with one of the folding jaws on the female folding cylinder for folding off the stitched signatures thereto.

10. In a machine of the character described, two stitcher mechanisms for feeding signatures alternately from a common source thereto, means for arresting the movement of the signatures during the stitching operation, and means for positively removing and folding the stitched signatures comprising two folding-off cylinders and a common folding cylinder arranged to coact therewith.

11. In a machine of the character de scribed, two stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures alternately from a common source thereto, means for arresting the movement of the signatures during the stitching operation, means for positively removing and folding the stitched signatures comprising two folding-off cylinders and a common folding cylinder arranged to coact therewith, and a delivery cylinder arranged to take the folded and stitched signatures and deposit them at a common point.

12. In a machine of the character de scribed, two stitcher mechanisms, feedingin devices therefor, including a rotary cylinder for each stitcher mechanism, a rotary means having grippers for feeding signatures from a common source alternately to said feeding-in cylinders, and means for folding the stitched signatures and delivering them at a common point.

13. In a machine of the character described, two stitcher mechanisms, feeding-in devices therefor, including a rotary cylinder for each stitcher mechanism, a rotary means having grippers for feeding signatures from a common source alternately to said feedingin cylinders, means for arresting the movement of the signatures during the stitching operation, and means for folding the stitched signatures and delivering them at a common point.

14. In a machine of the character described, two stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures thereto, tWo male folding 7 cylinders having grippers arranged to positively move the stitched signatures, a female folding cylinder arranged to coact with the male folding cylinders for folding the stitched signatures, and delivering them, and means for driving the male and female cylinders at a constant surface speed.

15. In a machine of the character described, tvvo stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding the signatures thereto, two male folding cylinders for removing the stitched signatures, a female folding cylinder coacting With the male folding cylinders for folding the stitched signatures, a delivery cylinder coacting with the female folding eylinder for delivering the stitched and folded signatures, and means for driving said cylinders at a constant surface speed.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two Witnesses, this seventeenth day of November, A. D. 1914.

HOWARD M. BARBER.

Witnesses:

A. R. STILLMAN, E. M. GRANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

